Transitioning to Academia

Whereas law professors hired before the 1980s typically published their first significant work after joining a law school faculty, candidates now must produce excellent scholarship before they enter the academic job market. There are several ways in which prospective law teachers may find the time and resources to develop the scholarly portfolio they need to enter academia. Two of the most common are fellowships and advanced degrees. But there are also many other ways to transition to law teaching, such as becoming the director of a research center at a law school or taking time off between jobs to write.